San Diego Zoo & Safari Park

We found the San Diego Zoo Safari Park after joking about getting married at the zoo! The costs are the same as any other all inclusive venue, but the experience is a million times better. The money goes back to helping the animals, the staff is EXTREMELY nice and helpful, and our guests thought the entire event was amazing and one of the funnest weddings they had. Magda who we spoke with first was so helpful, and Tommy our coordinator was an absolute gem to work with. For food we did the Comfort Station, Vegan Station, and Taco Station, and our guests thought the food was AMAZING! The food at the tasting was more of their fancy stuff which respectfully wasn't that good, but the basics were apparently amazing which I was honestly shocked by since honestly most wedding food these days is pretty bad. I say apparently because I ate about one bite the entire night - but so many people said how good the food was!!! We were blessed with five animals in a good enough mood to grace us at the wedding too!! Seriously, I don't know why anyone would choose another venue with similar costs/ scenery. At the Kajami Overlook you feel completely outside, free, open, and the photos came out beautiful as it looks like you're chilling in the mountains. The only thing I would have changed is inviting less people since weddings really do show you who is worth keeping in your life and speaking to 150 people in a night is insanely stressful. That said, the zoo handled that many people beautifully and so many guests said it was the funnest and coolest wedding they had been to! Thank you Safari Park!! Can't wait to keep visiting with our new annual passes (part of the package!!) <3

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park was the perfect place to host our wedding. Tommy, our coordinator and the zoo staff went above and beyond to make our day special. We chose Kijamii Overlook because we had older guests, we didn’t want them to have to move from the ceremony to the reception site. Kijamii Overlook was perfect because the ceremony and reception were at the same open-air site overlooking the safari with giraffes and rhinos. The kids loved it! We added on the Wild Animal Encounter, where we had birds, a porcupine and sloth visit us. We had guests sitting around us entranced by the animals. It was a big treat for everyone. Other hits for folks was the charcuterie board at the cocktail hour and an ice cream bar at the end of the night. The Safari Park and chef were able to accommodate all our guests dietary restrictions for vegan and gluten-free options. They also helped our ADA guests get right up to the ceremony site. Tommy coordinated everything without a hitch on the big day. He even tied the perfect windsor knot when we needed help. He worked seamlessly with our team of vendors to make our wedding better than we’d dreamed. Tommy even helped us get up to the Old World Gardens for our photos, the bride’s favorite spot in the park. Many of our guests said it was “the best wedding ever.” We highly recommend the San Diego Zoo Safari Park for your wedding or special event.

Our experience with the San Diego Zoo & Safari park was stellar from start to finish! Our wedding coordinator, Delaney, helped us with any question we could think of! She made the process sooo easy and all we had to do was lean back and enjoy our day! Our guests RAVED about how friendly and helpful all of the staff were! My photographer and videographer loved working with Delaney as well. I would recommend that everyone who is thinking of having a unique and beautiful wedding considers the San Diego Zoo & Safari Park!

Where do I even begin? I could honestly cry while writing this--having our wedding at the Safari Park meant so much to me and was seriously a dream come true. As soon as I found out the Safari Park was a wedding venue, I absolutely knew we must get married here, no venue could ever compare! Our wedding here did not disappoint us in any way. This is hands down the most wonderful venue, run by the most caring and incredible, hospitable workers. Having animals part of our wedding was absolutely magical in every way. It was unique, fun, beautiful, and breathtaking. Now, first I will say our experience booking the venue was very efficient. We got a tour by Magda, which allowed us to seal the deal and book the exact day we wanted! We were super happy to later on attend the menu tasting where we got to meet our lovely Venue Coordinator, Delanie, and see her in person. This not only allowed us to see how beautifully the tables would be decorated, but also get a taste for the food they would serve at the wedding and ask lots of questions. Throughout the year leading up to our wedding, I sent numerous emails back and forth with Delanie, and she always responded in a timely manner. She has impeccable attention to detail, and gives wonderful explanations and information. I had so much fun planning this wedding, but also of course, so much stress came along with it. With Delanie's help and kindness, she always put my mind at ease. It was Delanie who ultimately put together the event timeline, which was SO incredibly helpful for my planning with other vendors, and who helped me every step of the way whenever questions came up. She was always kind, and I am so sad that our time of working together has come to an end. She is truly a gem and so very talented at coordination, I wish we could be friends in real life! We got married at the breathtaking Kijamii Overlook location, and our guests could not believe the beautiful landscaping and views from the site. They were actually jaw dropping. And to top it all off, during our ceremony, we had the most serendipitous bout of several giraffes galloping behind us. For a moment, our whole audience was awestruck. It was truly an incredible experience and brought everyone joy. They brought out five amazing animals for us during the animal encounter, and our guests could not have been more excited and engaged! The Safari Park staff as a whole are the most kind and accommodating people you will meet. They made sure every detail was executed beautifully, from the folded linen napkins to the serving of cake slices. I truly believe the price per person is very reasonable, when you consider all of the items they take care of in their package, especially considering the admission price alone! Additionally, we got SO many compliments on the food and drinks! We are so happy that we upgraded our cocktail hour bar, because guests were so pleased with how fast the line moved, and really enjoyed the cocktails. By far, a fan favorite from our dinner buffet was the Creamy White Macaroni & Cheese with Gruyere and Sugar-Cured Bacon, we must have gotten at least 15 people saying it was the best they've ever had. All in all, I will never get over how perfect our Safari Park wedding was. I am so pleased that we will be able to visit for the rest of our lives and share long lasting memories of this beautiful and wonderful place. They are so deserving of every donation received. Photos featured by Love Story Photography 🙂

I highly recommend the Safari Park for your wedding!! They made planning a wedding such an easy and stress free experience. I was provided with a list of recommended vendors which made planning so easy because I already a narrowed down list. We loved every single vendor we ended up hiring! Since catering was provided through the park, that also made it easy and delicious! We got so many rave reviews about the food after our wedding which was no surprise because the Safari Park has yummy food to start with. Tommy Gomez was our vendor coordinator and he was TOP NOTCH!! He was super communicative the entire process, always making sure we did not have any questions and answering any we had. He made working with the park a dream and I could request him if you can. He made sure all the vendors had what they needed for the day of and things seemed to run super smoothly for them. He was there for rehearsal and our wedding day too! Working with Tommy gave me full confidence and that resulted is having no stress at all. It was supposed to rain the day of our wedding but Tommy doubled down with me and we set up the ceremony for outside rather than him pushing me to move it inside. Which I am so glad because it did not rain! He was the best cheerleader along the way. The park has so many beautiful views for wedding photos as well which is a huge plus. If you are having a wedding of 60 or less, I highly recommend the Woolshed venue area.

I got married at the Safari Park on October 27, 2023, and it was one of the best days ever! My wife keeps telling me that she wants to relive the day over and over again! I'm actually a wedding photographer, so I've had a lot of experience at weddings and at different venues. I have to say that the team at the Safari Park were so awesome and made our day so fun and easy! My wife and I wanted to find a venue that was somewhat unique and different from the typical wedding venue. When we visited the Safari Park, we were pleasantly surprised to find that their pricing was pretty competitive and that we could get this unique venue for a similar cost to what we'd been quoted at other, less impressive venues. It was also hugely helpful how all-inclusive the venue is. The Safari Park provided the ceremony seating, seating and farm tables for reception, our linens, the catering, and the bar for our wedding day. Not having to source all those things from different vendors was a huge time-saver and stress reliever. The food was delicious, including our cocktail hour appetizers (try the chicken empanadas!), and the bartenders were awesome too! Tommy, our venue coordinator, is the COOLEST! We vibed with him right away over email, and the good vibes kept flowing when we met him in person. He is so nice and friendly, and he was happy to take time to talk through all the details and answer any questions we had. He was present on the day of our wedding, and made sure that we had everything we needed. Even though we had an outside planner/coordinator, it was Tommy who made sure my wife and I got appetizers and drinks during cocktail hour. The dining staff and bartenders were super friendly and accommodating -- one bartender even told me that, in her 4 years of working weddings there, we had the prettiest bridesmaid dresses she'd ever seen! The only "hiccup" in the entire experience that we had was the menu tasting. It was just a bit... odd, haha. For one, we had to pay $100+ for tickets to the tasting event. That alone wouldn't be an issue, but we found out afterward that the food we tasted wasn't necessarily the food options that we'd actually be able to select for our wedding date -- that the tasting event was more for us to get "a sense of the portion size and general quality of the food." It seems strange to pay for a food-tasting event where we don't taste our actual menu options. Additionally, they said they'd provide champagne at the tasting event. That apparently meant about a sip and a half of champagne with no refills. It felt a little stingy considering the amount they charged us to be there. Overall, this was a very minor snag in the whole experience. Tommy's guidance leading up to the wedding was incredibly helpful, and he was great with our wedding party and our families on the day of the rehearsal. On the day of the wedding, everything ran smoothly, and they even provided us golf cart transport from the entrance to our wedding site. I never saw a long line at the bar, which means they bartenders were killing it! All our guests commented on how beautiful and amazing the venue was and what a great time they were having. And a huge highlight of the day was adding the Animal Experience to our cocktail hour, where they brought out four animals to be up close with us and our guests -- definitely a memorable experience for everyone there. Thanks, SDZSP, for hosting our dream day and making it great!

We held our reception at the Sambutan Longhouse, which is nestled at the end of the bamboo forest known as the Tiger Trail. When opting for a package with the Safari Park, you're met with exceptional inclusivity. The venue itself is decorated as you see on a typical day at the park, requiring minimal additions aside from table centerpieces. This is ideal for those seeking a hassle-free experience without compromising on style. Our guests had the opportunity to explore the Safari Park prior to our reception, which comes included in any reception package. Once the reception began, we had the venue till late allowing our guests the unique experience of seeing the Safari Park at night and being treated to the majestic sight of the tiger lounging throughout the evening. The Safari Park's venue coordinator exceeded our expectations, ensuring seamless coordination with our day-of coordinators and accommodating our requests. One special request of mine was to have the horticultural team showcase plants native to our parents' home countries, they even passed around a carnivorous plant for everyone to see up close. The reception package includes many food services to select from. We decided on appetizers during cocktail hour, followed by a buffet-style arrangement for the main course. The efforts of the culinary staff at the Safari Park received the highest praise from our family and friends as they unanimously voted it the best wedding food they have ever had. It was heartwarming to witness the kids, and even a few adults sneak in for seconds, possibly even thirds, a true testament to the quality of food the Safari Park has to offer. The Sambutan Longhouse at the Safari Park provided an unforgettable backdrop for our celebration, and we are so glad to have had a wonderful communicative venue coordinator from the park as well as an upbeat staff during our wedding reception.

We recently got married at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park at the Kijamii Overlook venue at it was incredibly. Our coordinator, Tommy, and the entire team went above and beyond to make our day so special. We loved the wedding package options and the tastings that they offered helped us to be confident in what the food would look and taste like. The communication prior to our wedding was excellent and Tommy was there for us every step of the way to answer questions and help us make decisions. We were able to have our rehearsal and the SD Safari Park team were amazing in wrangling our wedding party and helping us get our wedding decor to the location. We did our first look at the park and Tommy helped to make sure we were able to get around the park with ease and our photographer had everything she needed. Shuttles helped get our guests to the venue and they were able to come early and enjoy the park prior to the wedding. The location was spectacular and the Safari Park team runs like a well-oiled machine. There was a huge group of people helping to make sure our day got off without a hitch. Once our ceremony was finished, we had the animal ambassadors at our cocktail hour and it was a highlight for us and our guests. The staff who shared the animals with us were informative and fun! The food exceeded our expectations and we were told by so many of our guests that it was the best food they have ever had at a wedding. The SD Safari Park service team were amazing and all of our guests were looked after and cared for the whole night. I cannot recommend this venue enough!! We were exceedingly happy with everything, our photos were spectacular because of the amazing surroundings, and we had a blast! Tommy was such an amazing help and so professional the entire time. He was a spectacular coordinator, no question or concern was too silly, and he looked after us with such care throughout the whole process. Communication exceeded my expectations and he made the whole process a dream! Highly, highly recommend him as a coordinator. We had the wedding of our dreams and are so thankful to all who helped make it possible!

The San Diego Zoo & Safari Park is an amazing venue. The smiles from just talking about a wedding at the zoo is a small preview of the amount of joy that guests will have on your special day. It was smiles all around and such a great experience. Thanks to Delanie and the rest of the SD Zoo team for making our special day (and the planning months leading up to it) stress free and so beautiful!

Alyssa our coordinator was amazing through the whole process and provided helpful information from vendors that work with the park, time lines, perks and benefits to guests and bride and groom in a very timely manner. Communication via email or phone was on point. Our guests took full advantage of the full day access to the park and bride and groom receive annual memberships with the wedding package. I even had a dress code theme of butterfly wings for my guests for a halloween wedding reception and she surprised me by participating! My husband and I were able to not stress and enjoy the event because of how on top of things the staff was! The food and drinks were flowing! The food tasting event helped us choose our menu. We had Korean short ribs, chicken breast and pineapple thai style fried rice for entrees, s'mores station for dessert, late night snack of mini cheese burgers and fries and our friends loved it all! If you can plan your event on a full moon I would suggest that too and furniture rentals for the turf area! You can be as budget or as bougie as you want and this venue/ staff will still deliver a wow experience!! 10/10 recommend!

Never did we think we would get married at the Safari Park, but when we went to visit the venue (Kijamii Overlook) it was so beautiful! The venue itself was the rustic/bohemian look we wanted for a September wedding and we knew we could decorate it to exactly how we wanted. We got paired with Nikki as our event coordinator and honestly if you could pick her to be yours DO IT!! Nikki is so amazing and helped us with anything we needed even if it was last minute changes. She made us feel so comfortable when reaching out to her and seeing her in person for meetings. You can tell she loves her job and working with couples. I couldn't imagine working with anyone else during our special time. This venue is so unique it definitely has the wow factor.

I cannot say enough great things about this venue. It was a dream come true using the Safari Park as a venue and the staff made it the most seamless event I've hosted and attended. There were contingency plans for everything. Tommy, our coordinator, was incredible with communication, organization, and with helping coordinate the event from start to finish. Tommy was always available for any of my many questions. He was truly the reason we managed to make this incredible and rainy day go off without a hitch! I planned this wedding out of state and had no issues due to the amazing team at the Park.

We worked with Delanie as our zoo coordinator and couldn’t have been happier with our experience! She was always there to answer any questions we had and made sure we had a great wedding day. The venue itself is beautiful no matter what location you choose and the food was top notch!

The San Diego Zoo & Safari Park, staff and our site coordinator Delanie were amazing in helping to make our wedding weekend absolutely perfect! Delanie did a great job guiding us through the whole process and was very pleasant to work with through the last couple of years of planning. The safari park (Kijamii Overlook) was breathtaking and our guests continue to tell us that it was the most unique wedding they've ever been too and that the wildlife encounter was one of the highlights of the night.

We had our wedding in July at the Mombosa lagoon/pavilion at the Safari Park and it was a dream day! From the beginning, our coordinator Tommy was the best help we could have ever wished for. The wedding is completely customizable and you can add in or not have what you want. We recommend doing the tasting, which is where we decided on our menu and met our coordinator. Tommy kept in touch with us regularly in the year leading up to our wedding and always answered my many-questioned emails within 24 hours. He was always so helpful and provided any insight that he had, along with experienced recommendations. The venue itself was completely picturesque. The wedding was in the evening and the lagoon was a great background for all of our wedding photos and the reception. Tommy worked with all of our vendors to ensure that they knew when/where they needed to arrive and being the bride, I was able to walk up to my wedding with absolutely everything done. Tommy also allowed us to bring and store some decorations at the rehearsal and was so accommodating with our very large family at the rehearsal. On the day of, Tommy helped ensure that everything was ready to go and gave us updates. He was even available for my parent's questions and provided them with help. Once the ceremony was over, Tommy brought up drinks so we could relax before the photos began. He also helped my mom bustle my dress, made sure we had appetizers at our table when we arrived at the reception, and kept our timeline. I cannot recommend him as a coordinator enough. At the end of the night, my family was prepared to clean up the reception and when we went to grab the boxes, Tommy had already ensured that everything was packed up and loaded on the golf cart for us. He always went the extra mile for us at every step and it truly was the most stress-free day and that was 100% because of Tommy. I highly recommend the amazing venue, (the profits go towards the animals so how much better does it get?), the process and options. We got comments on how it was the best wedding that people had been to.

As a San Diego native I've always loved going to the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, and I'm so happy we chose this venue for our wedding celebration as the whole day was so memorable and amazing! We chose Harusi Lawn and Sambutan Longhouse at Tiger Trail, we were a bit worried it would be cramped with 100 guests but there was plenty of room in the Longhouse. The ceremony area near the cheetah enclosure was very beautiful and needed minimal decoration (although we still had a florist and other decorations for the gift/guest book table). One of the highlights of the day was the Animal Encounter, I definitely recommend adding this if possible. The zoo staff presented 4 animals, which included a cheetah and kangaroo! All our guests were amazed and really enjoyed the animal presentation. The food was also amazing, we had the 24-hour braised beef which was so delicious, I could not stop eating. All the guests we talked to also said the salmon with ponzu sauce was very good, and they even said their kids who are picky eaters loved the kids' meals. We actually didn't get to try the hors d'oeuvres, but our guests said they were all very good. Our event coordinator Tommy Gomez was so nice and fun to work with, and the Safari Park staff was extremely kind and understanding when there were delays with our wedding due to a serious illness I was going through. Tommy always answered our various questions promptly, and made sure everything went smoothly on the big day. There were a couple minor hiccups in terms of transportation (golf carts and shuttles) in between the ceremony and reception venues, but Tommy got them sorted out right away. To be fair, it seemed a bit logistically difficult to move 100 guests in between 2 venues which were somewhat far apart. He also had a great sense of humor and even busted out a few dance moves on the dance floor! All the rest of the staff were also very friendly and attentive. We got so many compliments from guests that this was the most unique and best wedding they've ever been to. Their prices are very reasonable considering their package includes hors d'oeuvre, tables, linens, beer and wine for cocktail hour, etc. It's also awesome that the money you spend goes towards their conservation program. The day was everything I hoped it would be, it was such a wonderful venue!

My husband, Steve, and I got married in the beginning of April in the Walkabout Woolshed and all we could say was WOW! We truly had such a wonderful experience. Tommy was our incredible coordinator and, while I’m sure everyone else is awesome, no one else is like Tommy! He made the entire process so seamless and easy. Not only was this one of the cheapest options in San Diego, but the fact the proceeds go right back into the animals made signing the contract a no-brainer. Also, how fun to get to say you got married at the Safari Park! We added the animal encounter which was so special and we STILL have guests telling us how much fun it added to the night! If you’re contemplating going with the Safari Park, look no further because this is your venue! You really won’t regret it! So many thanks again to Tommy as we wouldn’t have had the experience we had without you!

My husband and I got married here two weeks ago, and it truly was one of the most special and magical days of our lives so far. We got married at the Kijamii Overlook venue, which is an absolutely STUNNING venue that overlooks the animals roaming the savannah. When you arrive to the venue, you truly do not feel like you’re in San Diego anymore but rather on a safari vacation! There's a fun fire pit and beautiful bar built into a tree (how cool is that!). We chose the plated meal option and the food was all so delicious and cooked to perfection (we had the pan seared chicken, baseball top sirloin and shiitake mushroom risotto). We upgraded our bar and appetizers too, which I highly recommend because the Cheetah-rita signature cocktail and upgraded appetizers (we upgraded to the ahi tuna and vegan falafels, on top of the 3 standard hor d’oeuvres that you get with the package) were a hit amongst our guests! So many of my wedding guests have said that this has been the most beautiful and unique wedding location they have been to! One of the most magical things happened when we were saying our vows- a few giraffes lined up right behind me as if they were wanting to listen too! And as a bride, this location and venue was the most perfect thing I could have ever imagined! And I cannot praise the staff more. Our coordinator was Delanie Brown and she was the absolute BEST person to work with! Delanie started communicating with me months before the wedding and always made herself available to answer my many questions. She was so patient, kind, accommodating and knowledgeable. Delanie made sure we were always well informed about any upcoming deadlines and always made sure we were on track with our planning. She was there the day of the wedding as well to make sure everything went as planned. People always say how planning a wedding is stressful, but I can honestly say that Delanie was such a joy to work with that the planning process was truly seamless and easy for us because of her. Many, many thanks and appreciation to her and the rest of the staff at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park! Thank you for helping us create and celebrate the most special day of our lives, and for giving us some of the most beautiful memories that we will cherish forever!

Our reception at the Treetops at San Diego Zoo was great! Tommy our coordinator was so calm and flexible and had great communication. The venue was perfect for a 80 person reception. We opted for the animal encounter and our guest had so much fun seeing the animals up close. Food was delicious! My guests are still telling me how much they enjoyed the short ribs and Mahi Mahi. We choose to have a dessert bar from VG doughnuts and bakery and no one missed having cake. We danced the night away with DJ Drew Miller. Your guests also get a Zoo pass for that day to explore. You will also get a year pass to the zoo too. If you want a unique wedding I highly recommend San Diego Zoo. We are so happy we had it there!

The Safari Park was the perfect venue for our wedding and we couldn't be happier with our choice. Alyssa, our coordinator, was on top of things at all times throughout the process, which was as smooth and we were hoping it would be. Every aspect of the wedding was on point - the ceremony and reception venue were set up beautifully and exactly as discussed, the food was delicious, and everything ran smoothly and efficiently! If you do choose to have your wedding at the Safari Park (which you should), definitely do the animal encounter! They bring animal "ambassadors" to your cocktail hour and their handlers do a whole presentation. It was so fun and our guests couldn't stop talking about it.

I cannot say enough about how amazing the San Diego Safari Park was. The venue, the food, the staff, the service was 100% phenomenal. Our coordinator Nikki was so kind and helpful; I truly wish she was my friend in real life because her energy is just so positive and lovely. The staff were all helpful and friendly. The food - oh goodness gracious was it delicious! We had so many compliments about the food. Definitely pick the braised short ribs, and their house vegetables were gorgeously presented and perfectly cooked. We also had the wildlife experience, which was insanely cool! We received so many compliments and no joke people commented that it was the best wedding they went to. When you math out the cost compared to other venues, and the added value of the venue being a nonprofit dedicated to conservation, there is no better choice. If you are even remotely thinking about this venue, please give Nikki a call, because you wont regret it!!!

I had such an amazing, unforgettable wedding experience at the San Diego Zoo & Safari Park venue! I held both my ceremony and reception at the Kijamii Overlook at the Safari Park. Working with Nikki made the whole experience low stress and organized. I had such an amazing time, I truly had everything I could have imagined and more. The venue was gorgeous and the food was outstanding, I really don't think I can top this experience. I've been hearing from relatives ever since the wedding that this was one of the best weddings they've ever attended! Thanks again to the event coordinators for giving me the most memorable day of my life.

Firstly, I love that our money went to a great cause. The ceremony and reception venue were beautiful. We did the Lagoon overlook at the Safari Park. Our venue coordinator, Alyssa Good, was everything we could’ve asked for and more. Great communication and professionalism. Answered any questions we had thoroughly. Highly recommend using them as a Venue.

Best Wedding I have ever attended. Scenery was astonishing, service was exceptional. Everyone enjoyed themselves tremendously.

Our wedding was wonderful! The San Diego Zoo and Safari Park made our wedding day so special. We had a great time and all of our guests were raving about the giraffes and rhinos! Our guests were able to stand by the fire and watch the animals late into the night. We also had many people complimenting the food. Everyone loved the Mini Treat Table, the S’mores Station and the late night snacks. It was all delicious! Nikki and the rest of the staff at the Safari Park were so friendly, professional and kind. Nikki was always available to help us and all of our family members throughout the wedding rehearsal, ceremony and the reception. I highly recommend the Kijamii Overlook site for a wedding along with the Wildlife Animal Encounter experience!

Our wedding at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park was absolutely incredible! We had a small guest count - only about 60 guests, and so chose the Harusi Lawn/Longhouse at Tiger Trail venue combination. These locations were perfect, absolutely stunning, and so very us. We added the animal encounter to our cocktail hour and did not regret it! Our guests were raving about it and the animals we got to learn about were incredible! We highly recommend adding this encounter if it is in your budget, because really, where else will you get to have this amazing private animal encounter as entertainment for your wedding? It was a beautiful educational experience and so special for everyone. We had the amazing opportunity to work with Alyssa as our point of contact for the venue and could not have been happier. She was extremely detailed in her answers and always prompt in her responses. We appreciated her working with us to have our dream of a boba vendor at our wedding as well - also another aspect our guests seemed to love! We had a bit of a kerfuffle at the very start of our inquiry into having our wedding at the Safari Park, as the original coordinator we had been in contact with suddenly stopped working there right as we were trying to finalize our wedding date. Luckily we were swiftly taken care of - we were contacted by the Safari Park with a call and then promptly by email and got everything straightened out. Alyssa was placed as our venue coordinator and immediately got the ball rolling again. We are very grateful for her! We also want to shout out the venue staff - from the waitstaff, to the bartenders, to the shuttle drivers. Everyone was so lovely and nice - our guests had a great time interacting with them. During dinner service, the staff were all so kind of quick - we really are so grateful for every one of them! Overall, we highly recommend having your wedding at the Safari Park! It is such a unique and amazing experience - plus profits will go back towards animal conservation. So not only are guests having a good time, but every guest invited is also helping the park and the animals. The gorgeous venue locations and the fact that we could include an animal encounter during our cocktail hour was so extremely special. Because the whole park is already so gorgeous, minimal decor was needed - really, if you wanted to save money and you were at the Harusi Lawn venue for your ceremony, you could probably pass on florals with how gorgeous it is! We opted to enhance with some gorgeous florals, but I can definitely see it working without any as well. We also were very lucky in that the tigers remained out of their covered homes the entire night! So our guests got to see them up close all night long (the tigers chose to chill right next to the windows by the dinner tables). We love what the SDZ Wildlife Alliance stands for and does, and what a fun way to be a part of that!

Book this venue! Everything was wonderful! The planning process was so simple with them especially since I didn't have a wedding planner. First off, it was beautiful. Gorgeous. Breathtaking. Everyone is still talking about how gorgeous the Woolshed was. The food was amazing! Get the empanadas, you wont regret it! And the staff was phenomenal. They were on top of everything. Alyssa was our venue coordinator and she was hands down the savior of the day. But her team was just amazing. Our wedding day was perfect thanks to the crew we had. And the price was so affordable considering what all was included. I wish we could get married there again and again. This is the greatest venur in the world!

We had the most magical wedding at the Safari Park at their Kijamii Overlook space. That space is so special - overlooking the landscape with the adorable giraffes and rhinos! We were paired with Delanie, and she was so kind, professional, and just incredible. She was helpful and responsive to all of our (many, many) questions. She was also super creative in how she suggested we lay out our event - which turned out to be perfect. The space was fantastic and comfortable (despite being a bit cold and having some scattered showers!), and the food and drinks (including our specialty cheetah-rita drink) were delicious! We did an animal showing during our cocktail hour and it was a hit! The presenters were super fun and engaging and the animals were PERFECT! It was an amazing experience and super unique - not often you get to have a wedding with a porcupine! Our guests loved the entire experience, as well. I highly, highly recommend the Safari Park and Delanie.

Couldn’t ask for a better wedding. Nikki was the absolute best, she even got our guest popsicles at the last second since the ceremony was a little hot. If you’re looking for a fun, memorable place to get married than this is the spot. We didn’t even look at other venues.

The San Diego Safari Park offers absolutely breathtaking venue options that we would highly recommend. Having the animals as an interactive part of our wedding provided us with memories that will last a lifetime. The staff were nothing short of amazing, as they went above and beyond helping to ensure that my wife and I had the very best experience with our photographers and the animals. The staff not only took exceptional care of my wife and I, but they were also very responsive to our guests and their needs with transportation, etc. The reception venue of Sambutan Longhouse at the Tiger Trail was absolutely stunning and provided an intimate experience for both ourselves and our loved ones. When interacting with the staff throughout the evening, it felt as if they were a part of our family. Our coordinator, Delanie and her team not only provided exceptional service during the days of our rehearsal and wedding, but also when it came to assisting with all of the preparation for our special day. When bringing to Delanie's attention that our guest count was going to be significantly lower than initially planned, she worked with her team on coming up with additional options to assist in meeting the financial aspect of our wedding, while also providing the ability to give our guests a souvenir piece to take with them as a memory. Delanie was always in the background attending to the small details on our special day, ensuring that my wife and I were given hors d'oeuvre and even providing us with refills on our drinks. Delanie and her staff spent extra time interacting with our guests and overall making our night as magical as we could have ever hoped for. We highly recommend the San Diego Safari Park to anyone who is looking to host an event special to them, as the setting is not only stunning but the staff are absolutely amazing!

If I could give the San Diego Zoo & Safari Park additional stars I would. What a beautiful and fun place to have our wedding! From the very start, all the information was easy to review in the packet was sent to us. We went with the San Diego Zoo & Safari Park for a more unique experience and the ease of having food, drink, staff, and furniture already at the park. We had the ceremony and cocktail hour at the Harusi Lawn, which looked stunning. The animals were out and during the cocktail hours we had the animal encounter where they brought out several animals which our guests LOVED (and so did we - my husband laughed when I told him my favorite part of the wedding was not marrying him, but rather feeding a sloth a piece of watermelon). The hors d'oeuvres were amazing (egg rolls, bruschetta, mini empanadas) and the bartenders and staff were friendly, accommodating, and engaging. We then moved to the Longhouse at Tiger Trail, which was set up perfectly - I could not have imagined it better. The tiger was hanging out all night and posing for pictures with our guests and the food was delicious (we had the pineapple fried rice, stuffed chicken breasts, and tri-tip). Again, the staff was friendly and incredibly helpful. The star of the staff had to be our park coordinator, Delanie Brown. She made sure everything went off without a hitch (if there was an issue, she handled it so well we had no idea) and was very accommodating to all our wild requests. Without her we would have been lost. Thank you to the San Diego Zoo & Safari Park for making our special day unique and unforgettable.

Having our wedding at the San Diego Safari Park was absolutely AMAZING! It was the coolest experience for us and so many of our guests can't stop talking about what a wonderful and unique experience they had. We can't rave enough about Delanie, our event coordinator, who did such an amazing job making sure our wedding was spectacular. She seriously went above and beyond for us and we are so thankful to her! The event staff was so wonderful and kind, and Delanie made us feel like VIPs throughout our whole experience. If you are thinking about getting married here, DO IT!

This was a great location to have a wedding! Our venue coordinator was fantastic, the food was super tasty, and the surroundings were absolutely beautiful. Reasonably priced for San Diego, too. Our guests had a great time. Would highly recommend!

Utilizing this wedding venue, we achieved the wedding of our dreams with photos and a guest experience we would not have been able to replicate at any other place. Having both of us being born and raised throughout Southern California, this was a home away from home for both of us, and met every expectation we had. Nikki, our wedding correspondent for the venue worked with our every need and was able to quickly navigate our issues. She expertly handled our constantly changing guest situation, as several wedding party members canceled on us within a week of the wedding. She was able to put off the final food bid until after we attending a local tasting in the area although it was well over two weeks into when the document was due. She knew we were out-of-state completing tasks that we couldn't get a break from, and was the crucial piece of the puzzle for our wedding. Without her, the wedding would've collapsed on the spot. Because we do not currently live in the state, she was able to work out a deal with regards to the season passes, and we were granted two tickets for a safari ride the day prior to the wedding. My wife and I had a concern with regards to the food selection because two of our guests were vegan, and she helped us through the menu to make sure each and every person was able to eat to their heart's desire at the wedding. She stayed for the entire wedding and was able to assist us with a couple individuals that were irresponsible at the wedding with regards to their drinking. We were able to coordinate rides for them and able to keep their vehicles on site after listing them with the parent company that handled security. When it came to the event, Nikki knew our every want, and made sure to personally save certain appetizers that we specifically ordered and paid more for because of the taste and quality of the dish. She had four ready for us right after we walked off from the wedding during the cocktail hour and collected all of the extras from cocktail hour and had them at our table as we arrived to the reception area. During cocktail hour, after our little meet and greet with guests that flew in from all over the country, we had a personal escort with a golf cart to several spots within the park so that our photographer could take pictures of us with several different species in the background. We were even able to coordinate some of that help prior to the service, which is typically not done because of scheduling, but because of this, we were able to complete all of the bridal party photos prior to the wedding. We used vendors from their list in the local area for the flowers, cake and DJ. The photographer was someone we outsourced that I am hoping will be added to their list, as I believe her portfolio and price is beneficial for most of the guests paying for weddings at this venue. We are so pleased with this space, that we are going to renew our 5 or 10 year vows at the same location. This was our dream come true!

Having our wedding here was the best idea we had out of our entire planning process. Our venue was gorgeous, everyone had so much fun, and the photos were so cool!

As a wedding planner, you prepare as much as you can for all disasters. Any disaster planning was all wasted effort with Keely and her awesome team. The event went so well and so many gorgeous memories were captured. If you are doing your ceremony here, SPLURGE FOR THE ANIMAL ENCOUNTER! It is completely worth it and made for so many fun moments and photos. Overall, this wedding was a dream to plan, and Safari Park was an awesome partner. There are no bad days at the Safari Park!

We truly had a memorable experience and we know our guests did too. There is something to be said about hearing, multiple times over, "this is the BEST wedding I've ever been to!" We heard over and over again how accommodating the staff and volunteers were to our guests. It was such a well run event and I am so grateful that, at least on my end, I felt NO stress because of my confidence in the team. We would do it all over again and again!

We were just married at the Safari Park last week and we couldn’t wait to write this glowing review! A year ago when we shopped around at a few venues, the park immediately stuck out as such a unique and fun place to get married. Our coordinator Keely truly went above and beyond throughout the whole process. She was always quick to respond and extremely helpful. She was so on top of things that she would often reach out to me if it had been a while, and usually she had tips or information that hadn’t even occurred to me yet. On the day of the wedding, she and the rest of the staff really made the magic happen. They really have these events down to a well-oiled machine, and everything went seamlessly. The guests had no trouble navigating around the park, any hiccups were dealt with so quickly and professionally, and all the service staff were wonderful. The food was delicious – the park has a separate catering department from the generic “zoo food” – and more than one person said the beef short rib was some of the best they’d ever had. We and our guests had an amazing time and felt really well-taken care of. We were lucky enough to have a lot of safari animals roaming behind our ceremony, and one of the tigers stayed out for at least half of our reception. “Cons” (in quotes because they’re not bad things, just things to be aware of): The logistics of having the wedding at the park was challenging. For most of the venue set-ups offered, your ceremony and reception sites can be pretty far away from each other, and on top of that, the private room where the bridal party will change is in yet another location. It’s kind of an ordeal to golf-cart around the park, so don’t underestimate how long it will take to get from A to B and get groups of people assembled. We went without a wedding planner and the only reason we were able to pull it off is because we had *very* minimal décor/vendors/etc. If you plan on having a lot of bells and whistles, you will absolutely need a wedding planner. The only real bummer we had in our experience is that the park is phasing out some of the animals from the “animal encounter”. One of the reasons we picked the safari park was to have pictures with the cheetah or caracal, but some of those animals aren’t being featured anymore. We ended up skipping the animal encounter all together and used the cocktail hour to take family photos. Overall it was such a wonderful, magical experience and our guests are still raving about what an awesome wedding it was. We're so happy we chose the Safari Park for our day and we couldn't be more grateful to Keely for making it amazing!

We had one of the best venue experiences with Magdalena Johnson as we were shopping around for potential places to host our wedding. She was by far the most responsive representative out of all the wedding reps we were in contact with, very thorough and patient with all her responses and extremely flexible when we were trying to book a tour since we were coming in from out of town. The different wedding venues in the park are absolutely gorgeous and unique, especially the Kijamii Overlook. Not many people can claim to have rhinos and giraffe's roaming in the background of their wedding ceremony! Unfortunately we did not end up booking this venue as we ultimately decided to host our wedding in our hometown. However, I was thoroughly impressed with the service provided by Magda at this venue. You can tell she is truly passionate and excited about her job here and was such a pleasure to work with! If we ever decide to host a destination event in San Diego I will be sure to reach back out!

I'm updating my review because despite an initially poor experience in which my coordinator at the zoo didn't respond for weeks at a time, I was able to speak to Keely, who was very apologetic about the situation and ultimately took over coordinating my wedding herself. She is extremely responsive and completely on top of things. Every question was answered promptly, and she made sure that I was aware of any deadlines coming up. It was a pleasure to work with her. The wedding itself was excellent. Alyssa was there on the day of, and everything ran without a hitch under her supervision. The venue is absolutely spectacular. We were at Kijami Overlook, and it's just surreal to get married there with giraffes and rhinos in the background. We also opted to add the animal experience, and they brought out some weird and adorable creatures - I definitely recommend it. We received a lot of compliments from our guests about the venue - it's definitely the most unique wedding venue most of them had ever been to. It's also just nice to know that your money's going to a good cause instead of a big hotel chain. If you're looking for a place to get married in San Diego, I would strongly recommend that you take a tour of the Safari Park.

There honestly is not a more perfect and unique place to have your wedding!! My husband and I had our prom at the San Diego Zoo several years ago and when it came to finding a wedding venue, we randomly searched the Zoo and saw they had several wedding/event spaces at both the Zoo and Safari Park. Finding the specific venue of Kijamii Overlook at the Safari Park was the answer to our prayers. We knew the second we toured the venue that we had to have our celebration here. I mean we could hear the nearby lion literally roar while we were standing in our venue! It was unreal! The entire team at the park was so gracious and amazing to work with. They couldn’t make it easier for you to help plan your wedding. The venue speaks for itself overlooking the Safari and having the animals behind you and be a part of your day. We have wedding photos with giraffes and rhinos behind us, that is so cool. On our wedding day, the guests could not stop raving about the venue and how it truly was a once in a lifetime experience for them. Never will we get to go to another wedding like this and we’re so lucky it got to be ours! To see the smiles, the pure joy of everyone enjoying the space was all we could have asked for and more. The layout is perfect. There was so much room that guests could really move around and not feel like they had to be sitting or dancing. They could be looking at the view/animals, they could be by the fireplace, etc. And the food…. WOW we could not have gotten more compliments about the appetizers and the entrée. The coconut shrimp was a huge hit and the short rib was heavenly!! We had guests say it was the best wedding food they’d had so huge kudos to that team. Through the whole process of scheduling and re-scheduling as a COVID bride and groom, we could not have been more pleased!! The entre team is amazing and we would not change a single thing about the wedding day. Keely was the most amazing coordinator and helped facilitate any need, field all questions, and on the day of, checked in with us to ensure we were happy with the event and had everything we could possibly need. She really helped to make it the most special, memorable day for my husband and I and we’re forever grateful to her and the Safari Park!!

It may sound cheesy but my wedding day was the best day of my life! I wish I could relive it over and over. Not only was the San Diego Zoo Safari Park a beautiful location for our wedding but it was such a pleasure working with their staff. Being a COVID bride was stressful as it was but the park made everything stress free for us. Both my venue coordinators for the park were amazing people and so very helpful. Sydney and Alyssa go above and beyond to make sure everything is run smoothly and all our vendors were on the same page. All of our guests had an amazing time. They absolutely loved the animal encounter during cocktail hour as it's not something people normally see at a wedding. The food was also outstanding and I wish they had it for normal dinning at the park because I would get it again and again if I could. If you are looking for an amazing wedding that supports a great cause look no further.

We had our wedding at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park at the Kijamii Overlook. Having our wedding here was such an amazing experience. Our guests had a wonderful time from the animal presentation at cocktail hour to the views of the giraffes, rhinos, and more in the Kijamii Overlook. The food was excellent and the service was amazing. If you are looking to have a more creative and fun wedding, I would absolutely recommend the Safari Park. Our Event Coordinator Nikki was absolutely fabulous and went above and beyond to accommodate all of our requests and to make our day perfect. Thank you to the San Diego Zoo Safari Park!

A unique experience! The venue coordinators were very responsive and helpful from beginning to end. My husband and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, so having the wedding here was a bit of a "destination" wedding. It was nice having the bar, catering, tables, chairs and linens included with the venue package. The animal encounter is a must! It was awesome! The venue coordinator provided us with a preferred vendors list which made choosing vendors much simpler and made the planning process smooth. We had a wedding coordinator as well, which was also a must for this venue. Our guests told us it was the best wedding they've been to--including their own.

Getting married here was an incredible experience. First off, the park is just a really awesome setting for a wedding. It's just really great looking... PLUS there are wild animals around. Sydney, the park's event coordinator for our wedding, was incredible to work with. She was always looking to help us get the wedding day that we wanted - and she did a really great job. The animal presentation is just about the coolest thing that can happen at a wedding, so if you get married here... I highly recommend you have an animal presentation. The reception area was great as well - they transformed a zoo menu into a really fantastic reception area. The food the park has as options for dinner is also incredibly delicious. All in all, I have only good things to say about the entire experience. It was really fantastic and I highly recommend the Safari Park as a wedding venue.

The San Diego Safari Park was a wonderful wedding venue. So special to have a view of the animals from the site. The venue coordinator was professional and thorough and provided us with a memorable, stress-free day. The venue was so amazing and beautiful that we didn’t need to worry about many details and decorations. A smooth planning process.

My husband and I are so glad we chose to have our wedding at the Safari Park! Sydney was a dream to work with. She was so organized and easy to communicate with. In the months before the wedding, she kept us well-informed of upcoming deadlines and answered all of our questions in a timely fashion. She managed all of our vendors for us, which saved us a lot of time and stress. On the day of our event, Sydney ensured that everything went smoothly. If there were any problems that day, we didn't hear about them. Every single Safari Park staff member who worked our event was friendly and attentive. The highlight of the day was the Animal Encounter, which blew everyone away. We heard from multiple guests that ours was the best wedding they have ever attended, and I think the beautiful Park and the wonderful staff were both responsible for that.

Our wedding went better than we ever imagined. Size: 62 guests (10 children ages 1 to 13) Ceremony Site: Harusi Lawn Reception Site: Tiger Longhouse On-Site Vendors: Site coordinator (provided by the park), day-of coordinator, florist, DJ, MC, dessert-maker, lighting (market lights in reception site) Ceremony: It was fantastic. The lawn fit our party size perfectly, the immediate backdrop of the tree (and two pillars with flowers that we added) was beautiful, and the deeper backdrop of the cheetah enclosure and savanna beyond gave plenty of pre-ceremony action to keep everyone interested. Cocktail hour: One of the things they offer is an animal presentation during the cocktail hour, and every single person who ever gets married here should absolutely do that. The expectation that was set is that 3-4 animals will be presented by trainers in an intimate, up-close fashion with the possible crown jewel being a cheetah (but no guarantee because they might not be in the mood to come out). For ours, a military macaw wowed guests with mimic games, a red kangaroo literally ate out of our hands (and tried to eat the knee of my pants!), a caracal posed for dramatic photos, and a cheetah chowed down on a blood popsicle a couple feet away from us. They all strolled around the lawn (on leashes!) right in front of the guests, kids’ eyes were as big as dinner plates, and 1,000s of photos were taken. It turned an average cocktail hour with good drinks and mixed food (crab cakes were great, bruschetta was bad) in a nice setting into a lifelong memory for everyone. Absolutely magical. Reception: The food (chicken and salmon) was great, and they accommodated some special meals without complaint, but no one really cared because the tigers stole the show. The expectation was that the tigers might make a brief appearance before bedding down, but instead, they were out and about all night. Even the vendors were taking pictures with them! The venue was gorgeous, the market lights were a wonderful complement, and it stayed nice and cool throughout the evening. But the tigers took it to another level. The ice cream sandwich dessert station is an add-on, but it should be done by everyone. It was such a hit, we should have just served those sandwiches as the entire meal. People went crazy for that. Staff: Rachel was our site coordinator, and she was phenomenal. Professional, attentive, organized, and unfailingly patient and helpful, she made sure the day went off perfect. She even ran to get us bottles of water when ours ran out while taking family photos in the 90-degree heat! The waitstaff and bartenders were all wonderful as well. Overall, our wedding was incredible. Many of our guests made a point of telling us, unprompted, that this was their favorite wedding ever. You can’t beat that.

How do you sum up a review on a vendor that was beyond incredible?!? And a wedding venue that a girl could only dream of having?! My husband was the one who suggested we go tour the San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park; we started touring places and some were really good and others just didn’t seem to do it for us. We went for our tour with Miss Patti Betts (love her!!) and fell completely in love with the idea of a wedding there!! We made our way through the sites and then finished with visiting the last site; Kijamii Overlook. LOVE!! That was it for us! I think I hugged Patti about 4 times, we were so happy! We would be saying our vows with giraffes and rhino’s roaming in the background!! How amazing is that?! We booked the park and went through the planning phases. Everyone we encountered when touring the park with vendors, tastings, etc. they all were just so nice and excited for us. We felt at home with having our wedding with such a great team. I was then told a Christian Wooten would be my next point of contact and would be leading the big day; little did I know he and I would end up email buddies! Christian Wooten is that person that goes above and beyond for his clients. I know we wouldn’t have had the phenomenal wedding we were blessed with, if it wasn’t for Christian. Over the course of the year he helped answer numerous questions (a lot!), gave priceless advice and was a calm friendly presence in our wedding planning. He gave honest feedback and always had my best interest in mind. These are rare qualities and I so appreciated him! He worked closely with all vendors to ensure the day went smooth, and was a pillar on the day of. The wedding was a complete dream come true for my husband and I!! Christian and his team blew our minds with how everything came together and flowed. The food was delicious, the yummy drinks and the way our stations were setup were just perfect! I heard all night long from our guests (and still do!) on how this was the best wedding they have ever been to!! The Safari Park has been blessed with such an amazing talent and I hope they are aware of that. Christian is a great example of a hard worker, whose best interest is his clients and creating amazing events that result in memories to last a lifetime.

If you want a fun and unique wedding, the Safari Park is the place to go! We started our journey with booking the San Diego Zoo Safari Park for our wedding in January of 2018 working with Patti! She gave my husband and I an amazing tour of the park showcasing all of the different venue options the Safari Park had and answered all of our questions. After feeling very pushed off by other venues, it was a breath of fresh air to meet a wedding team that were so accommodating and wanted to make us feel so welcomed. We were then paired up with Sydney, who was an absolute pleasure to work with! She answered all of our questions and coordinated with our vendors, making our wedding planning process stress-free and amazing. On the day of the wedding, she helped us follow our timeline and had a cheeta-rita waiting for us after we said our " I do's" and made sure that we ate! We chose the Overlook location for our wedding and it was absolutely beautiful. The giraffes, rhinos, and animals galore were all around us and having a lion roar during the ceremony was the perfect accent to our wild wedding. If you do select the Safari Park as your venue the Animal Encounter is a must! We had 4 animal friends attend our cocktail hour and our guests went nuts!! It was the best day of our lives and would highly recommend the Safari Park as the perfect wedding venue!

We could not have asked for a better venue for our wedding. It was absolutely fantastic! The staff and food were wonderful and Sydney, our coordinator, was absolutely amazing. All of our guest are still talking about our wedding and how amazing it was even weeks later. Thank you for a wonderful night we will never forget!!

We had our ceremony and reception at the Kijamii Overlook back in June. When we were looking at venues, we really wanted a location that felt special to us. Being local annual zoo passholders, this seemed like a no-brainer. I didn't want to get my hopes up, assuming this venue would be out of budget. When we looked at pricing, it ended up being fairly comparable, if not better, than many other standard wedding venues in San Diego. Keep in mind, this venue includes linens, chairs, china, food, alcohol (if desired), parking, a consultation, rehearsal, and day passes for guests. Ultimately, we ended up only needing cake, flowers (minimal, the site is gorgeous on its own), photographer, and DJ. We are thrilled with our decision and never looked back. Kijamii is newly renovated and has a kitchen, bar, built in heaters, bathrooms, and a fire pit. It also stays relatively cool on hot days which was key for our summer wedding. And the view, wow. You can't beat the view with giraffes, antelope, and rhinos strolling around in the background. As far as service, everyone was fantastic. Sydney, the day of coordinator, is a rock star. She did SO much more than just coordinate during our big day. We met a few times prior to go through additional tours, questionnaire Q&As, and a food tasting. She is extremely accommodating, quick to respond to emails, and unbelievably professional. What I valued most about Sydney however, was her honesty and ability hold real discussions with us based on her professional experience. Because of this, she provided us with options and alternatives that we never would have thought to do. She was unbelievably on top of everything throughout the wedding and we have received numerous compliments from family members and guests on how fantastic she was at her job. If you can budget for it, I highly recommend the animal presentation. We had an african grey parrot, adorable guineafowl, a serval, and a cheetah. The presentation really is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and all proceeds go directly back to the animals!

What a phenomenal place to have our wedding! We got married at the Mombasa Lagoon last month, and everything about the day was absolutely perfect. The setting was gorgeous, the food was outstanding, and all of our guests had such a fun time! Two of the biggest highlights for us were: 1. The guests were able to get their admission tickets (included in the wedding package) at any time throughout the day. We had a lot of out-of-town relatives who enjoyed being treated to a day at the Park prior to our wedding! 2. We added an animal presentation onto our package, and it was one of my absolute favorite parts of the day. Our cocktail hour included a serval, a boa, and a cheetah! We are very grateful to the animal keepers, to the waitstaff, and to our truly amazing coordinator, Sydney, for blowing all of our expectations out of the water! Our big day was far above and beyond anything we could have hoped for or imagined!

Kelli Gabriel our coordinator was amazing to work with. The entire process of planning with Safari Park was very easy and stress free. In the beginning we were looking for a venue that could provide an array of packages to make our lives easier. Our wedding at Kijamii Overlook turned out beautiful. The service was great and we had so many compliments on the food and atmosphere. We did a food tasting prior to the event and Kelli was very thorough at getting our feedback to make sure all of our requests were made. I especially loved that all of our guests received complimentary park passes for the day, what a great way to give your guests a memorable gift.

We wanted to have a easy, meaningful, unique and fun wedding. The Safari Park was the perfect place to do all of that. Easy: Our coordinator took good care of us the whole way, making sure we knew what was happening and that we knew what to do. And they could provide almost everything in one place- ceremony space, reception, tables, chairs, linens, food, drinks and desserts. Unique: Well, there was a Cheetah at our wedding, I don't think many other people get to claim that. Fun: My nephew who is too cool for everything stayed all night and gave me a thumbs up half way through- so it must have been fun. And they were great- they let us personalize to our hearts content from pinatas to face painters. And I must say- we assumed going in the one thing we'd have to compromise on is the food. But it was far from the case. The food was amazing (and the dessert even better).

I cannot say enough how perfect our wedding was. We had our wedding at the Safari Park at the Kijami Overlook which is outdoors with a still very newly built covered reception space. The lawn overlooks the African savannah where the giraffes, antelope, and rhinos live. The space is already beautiful, so we didn't need to decorate too much. There is a bridal prep room, which was greatly appreciated. We were given a site coordinator, Kelli, who was amazing. She took care of managing the arrival and set up of the Safari Park crew and vendors. The price included set-up of the venue for both ceremony and reception (not including our decorations), the food and drink package we chose, and day-of admission and parking for all of our guests. We happily paid the extra fee to include an animal presentation during the cocktail hour and even though everything was already perfect, the presentation was the monumental icing on the cake that made our wedding the most unique and memorable wedding ever. The final reason I'd recommend doing your wedding at the Zoo or Safari Park is that the money is going to a good cause. They are non-profits and all the money goes to the animals in the park as well as conservation efforts across the globe.

Breathtaking! When my husband and I were looking for wedding venues we wanted something unique and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park did not disappoint. We had a lot of out of town guests, and I would highly opt for the animal presentation during the cocktail hour since it definitely made it an experience for our guests – it was probably the most Instagrammed thing from our wedding. If you think concession stand food when you think of the Zoo, you will be sadly mistaken. We picked the plated dinner and it was like eating at a 5 star restaurant; the food was flavorful and cooked perfectly. And the appetizers were out of this world. Our on-site coordinator Sydney was incredible! For start to finish, we never felt overwhelmed by the wedding process and a lot of that is due to her friendly/professional demeanor and organizational skills. We had a no-show officiant and I don’t think we would have recovered so quickly without her being there and helping create Plan B. During dinner while we were making rounds with our guests, she was so helpful in letting us know where we were in the timeline for getting back to our table for the toasts or when our dinner arrived. Our wedding party also commented on how much they loved her positive energy and keeping them in line from getting to point A to point B.

We had our wedding ceremony and reception at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in March 2018 and it was incredible. The venue is absolutely beautiful and so unique -- there were baby rhinos running around behind us as we said our vows. The Kijami Overlook has an amazing view on lots of animals and gorgeous San Diego mountains. Kelli was our coordinator for the event and she did a great job helping us through the process and communicating with our vendors. We would definitely recommend getting the animal show -- our guests got to see a bunch of animals up close, including a cheetah! Also, the food and bar service was excellent. All of our guests said that it was one of the coolest, most unique, and memorable weddings they had ever been to. If you are looking for a beautiful venue filled with wildlife, supporting conservation efforts, and giving your guests a wedding experience they've never had before, go with the Safari Park!

We were so enthused about our venue. The team and our coordinator Kelli Gabriel, were all amazing. Our guests are still talking about it a week later. We were impressed by the food, the animal encounter, and the overall ambiance. We want to do it again!!! We would say you get so much for the value and we will remember this forever. We cannot wait to get our photos back and share them. We are looking forward to coming back to tje park very soon and enjoying our cart safari too! Thank you SDZ Team for making our wedding a dream come true!